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Here's the truth that most of us don't want to hear: Many of our challenges are simpler than we make them out to be. We use overthinking as a tool to add complexity where it isn't needed. It's like having a magnifying glass and choosing to examine every grain of sand on the beach while ignoring the tide coming in.
The most damaging way this shows up? We focus intensely on things that don't really matter. We obsess over perfect gym attendance, precise snack timing, or whether we took two bites too many – all while avoiding the obvious patterns of overeating that actually impact our progress.
Let's be honest: The diet industry has trained us to believe that weight loss is an intricate puzzle that requires advanced degrees to solve. If something feels too simple or straightforward, we assume we must be missing something. Surely there must be more to it – protein timing, heart rate zones, or some other scientific-sounding metric we need to track.
But this quest for complexity is often just a sophisticated form of procrastination. It keeps us busy without moving us forward. We feel like detectives solving a case, when really, we're just creating more mysteries to solve.
The problem with being a self-appointed detective is that you'll always find more cases to crack. That dopamine hit from "solving" these imaginary problems becomes addictive. Before you know it, you're trapped in an endless cycle of analysis paralysis.
Consider this real example: Someone notices they lost weight after a day of overeating and immediately starts theorizing about "calorie cycling." Or they blame their brain fog on having slightly more carbs in their yogurt and vegetables. We desperately want to connect dots that might not actually be related.
Here's what overthinking really is: a distraction. It's not making you more successful – it's keeping you from seeing what actually needs to change. While you're deep in thought about optimizing your workout schedule, you might be missing the fact that you're overeating every evening after dinner.
The path forward isn't about becoming a better overthinker. It's about recognizing when you're using complex analysis as a shield from simpler, more uncomfortable truths. Success doesn't come from mastering the art of overthinking – it comes from taking consistent action on the basics that matter most.
The next time you catch yourself going down a rabbit hole of analysis, ask yourself: Am I making this more complicated than it needs to be? Am I focusing on what truly matters, or am I creating distractions to avoid dealing with the real issues?
Remember, it's okay for solutions to be simple. In fact, the simplest solution is often the right one. Your energy is better spent on taking action rather than endlessly analyzing every possible variable.
The path to success isn't paved with perfect theories – it's built on consistent, imperfect action. So put down the magnifying glass, step back from the detective board, and focus on the fundamental changes that will actually move you forward.
[00:00:00] Maggie: A lot of the time it is a lot more simple than you think it is and you don't like that it's simple and we use [00:00:05] overthinking to make things really complex. And the way I see overthinking be the most [00:00:10] damaging for my clients is they use it to focus on shit that does not matter. That's the biggest way you guys are using [00:00:15] overthinking against yourself.
[00:00:16] Maggie: It's like really focusing on aspects of perfection, trying to do [00:00:20] something in a perfect way versus ignoring. It's the way we shine a light on something that is, has no [00:00:25] bearing on you actually losing weight this week. Instead of looking at the obvious overeating that's happening right over [00:00:30] here, you're worried about how many times you're getting to the gym this week, or you're worrying that you might be taking two [00:00:35] bites too many, or you're worrying about the timing of your snacks, or you're worrying [00:00:40] about.
[00:00:40] Maggie: you know, how overeating actually led to you losing weight. So what do we do about that? Like, [00:00:45] it's all, I see all these different ways when I'm coaching women every single day in vibe club where I have to [00:00:50] say, I think you're overthinking this. And that's hard. It's hard to give up your overthinking because it feels [00:00:55] very busy.
[00:00:55] Maggie: It feels very like you're doing some shit and you are, but it's not a [00:01:00] good use of your, your energy. You're trying to overthink your way out of this very, very simple problem. [00:01:05] You're actually adding complexity to a very simple There's a very simple solution here, [00:01:10] and I think the dieting industry has done that to us.
[00:01:14] Maggie: I [00:01:15] think that it has led you to believe that this weight loss thing is very confusing and [00:01:20] very complex. And that if it's ever feeling easy and simple, You're, you're off. [00:01:25] You're on the wrong path. There's something deeper here that you need to find. You need to go on a little [00:01:30] quest here. And you need to decide about your protein timing.
[00:01:33] Maggie: How's your protein timing? How's that [00:01:35] going? , how's your, are you making sure you're in zone 2 heart rate stuff [00:01:40] in zone 3? I don't know if that's a real thing, but I, I know generally it is. It's, it's those kind of things [00:01:45] that like, Make us feel like we're solving a fucking, like we are
[00:01:48] Ryan: math equation,
[00:01:49] Maggie: which, [00:01:50] which I do use with the magnifying glass.
[00:01:52] Maggie: Like I'm solving a case right now. Yeah. And I need to [00:01:55] get to the bottom of it. And then I come in and I'm like, that is unimportant. Stop overeating. And people don't [00:02:00] like that . They want me to go on the quest with them, but I got people to coach. I got shit to do. [00:02:05] I'm not going on this quest with you. Yeah.
[00:02:06] Maggie: And I would recommend you stop the quest as well.
[00:02:09] Ryan: Well, there's this, [00:02:10] there's this huge thing of like, what's the saying? Uh, correlation is not causation.
[00:02:14] Maggie: Yeah, [00:02:15] causation is not correlation.
[00:02:16] Ryan: Yes, yes, yes.
[00:02:16] Maggie: Correlation.
[00:02:17] Ryan: There's a lot of that going on that causes overthinking.
[00:02:19] Maggie: [00:02:20] Yeah, with every choice people are making, they're like, wait, so that worked.
[00:02:23] Ryan: Literally, someone the other day was like, I [00:02:25] overate and the scale went down. Is calorie cycling a
[00:02:29] Maggie: And I, that was [00:02:30] one of the things where I was like, we're not going to worry about that at all.
[00:02:32] Ryan: We're going to just pretend you didn't say that.
[00:02:33] Maggie: We're not going to. And she [00:02:35] admitted that was one of the ways her brain was overthinking, but it's a perfect example of people who are like, [00:02:40] they really see something happening and they're like, I must, and I'm the queen of this.
[00:02:42] Maggie: I must tie this to something.
[00:02:44] Maggie: I'm not [00:02:45] gonna go down these rabbit holes anymore of trying to figure out if my weight was down today [00:02:50] It must be because I skipped that sweet treat and that's always where it's gonna go It's always gonna go if [00:02:55] the weight is up It's because I had those cookies.
[00:02:57] Maggie: I had a client who was tying her weight being up [00:03:00] or brain fogginess, some, some negative thing that she was experiencing with her yogurt and her [00:03:05] veggies being a little bit higher in carbs. Now, mind you, this is a client that's coming from full ass [00:03:10] carnivore, okay? Doesn't matter where you're at on that scale.
[00:03:12] Maggie: Your brain is going to want to say this [00:03:15] caused that.
[00:03:15] Ryan: The only way I lost weight was eating keto. So that's the only way I can And that's the only
[00:03:19] Maggie: thing that works for me. I [00:03:20] had that belief for a very long time. It's just the only thing that works. And I want you to be questioning [00:03:25] those connections that you're making because they really make us feel like little detectives.
[00:03:29] Maggie: We [00:03:30] love the dopamine hit of solving a problem. The problem I found with that is the [00:03:35] problems just kept coming up and I was endlessly getting problems to solve because I made it my [00:03:40] job to overthink and solve problems. It was never ending and you will find that in weight loss as [00:03:45] well. If you think that your job in life is to just solve these problems, you're going to be doing that in [00:03:50] every.
[00:03:50] Maggie: Transcripts [00:03:55] provided by [00:04:00] Transcription Outsourcing, [00:04:05] LLC. The
[00:04:05] Ryan: overthinking causes imaginary problems.
[00:04:08] Maggie: Yes, it takes [00:04:10] something that is just existing and it's like, Oh, magnify that. Let's really dig into this. And [00:04:15] I, that's really the biggest way I see it coming up with clients is I'm like, stop looking there.
[00:04:19] Maggie: Stop [00:04:20] looking in that direction. That's not at all important to your overall goals [00:04:25] right now. And people are having to like over and over be like, yeah, you're right. Because I'm actually overeating every day [00:04:30] after dinner. And I'm like, yeah, so that's where I want you to look. Don't give another thought. to this, this [00:04:35] specific thing.
[00:04:35] Maggie: It's not where the problem is. If anything, I want you guys to remember this. Overthinking [00:04:40] is a distraction. It's a distraction. It's not helping you get any further. You are not going to succeed at the [00:04:45] process I teach by getting better at overthinking. You may become a more proficient thinker. [00:04:50] You may think in more efficient ways for yourself, but overthinking is [00:04:55] a distraction.
[00:04:55] Maggie: It's, it's normally keeping you from actually seeing what needs to change. , it's [00:05:00] having you look in a way to keep you very confused. Overthinking causes more [00:05:05] confusion than anything else.
Maggie is a Certified Life Coach from the Life Coach School, specializing in helping people develop a mindset-first approach to weight loss. Through her podcast "Why We Overeat" and her coaching program, she helps clients break free from the cycle of dieting and develop a sustainable relationship with food.
